Bookkeeping apparatus.



H. W. ROBINSON.

BOOKKEEPIRG APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.I2. 1916.

Patented Nov. 19, 1918.

n L M; 0/ m 5i. wzw n i 3 H Isl, k k l /.HI I l v 7 although the HENRY w. noBINsoN, or NEw'roN CENTER,

MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE LAMSON COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

. Qpeoafion of- Ites Patent.

BOOKKEIEPING APPARATUS.

Patented Nov. 19 11ers.

Application filed December 12, 1916. Serial No. 136,418.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY W. BoBINsoN, a citizen of the United. States, residing at Newton Center, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bookkeeping Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a device for'facilitating the keeping of records and may hence be termed a book-keeping apparatus; books are preferably kept in the form of a card-index. I

In the offices of life-insurance companies and other large establishments, the question of how to expedite the locating of cards upon which the records are kept,where such cards run as they'do in number up, at times, into the hundreds of thousands,has become one which requires a more satisfactory solution than that of merely filing the card. groups in separate drawers; since a. great deal of valuable time is lost by the clerk in moving around the room and even by reaching, alone, where said clerk does not have to shift his or her position.

The present invention aims, for one of its objects, to eliminate this waste of time and effort, and to place at the convenience of book-keepers and others, a machine which will enable them to, at once lay hand upon any desired card or record, and this without their having to leave their station before said machine.

These and other objects of said invention will be hereinafter referred to and the novel combinations of parts and elements whereby said objects may be attained will be moreparticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawing which forms a part hereof and in which like reference characters designate like parts in the respective views:

Figure 1 is =a perspective view of my improved record keeping machine.

Fig. 2 is a section taken on the plane Il[H of Fig. 1. T Fig. 3 is asection taken on the plane ITT ofFig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is afragmentary detail section of the end of the roller and its associated parts.-

- As best shown in Fi' 1, the apparatus comprises a table forms of a frame, which may conveniently consist of angles 1 disposed in parallel relationship and suitably held together by spacin rods 2 or the like, and, if desired, by tieolts 3 latter may ride rollers 4'.

These latter are substantially frictionlessly mounted, preferably havin anti-friction bearings 5 of any suitable escription, to the end that the rollers may turn in either direction with the utmost freedom.

The table, in the preferred embodiment of my invention, is a relatively long table, its

ends being usually beyond the convenient reachof an operator positioned at the station designated A; and the series of rollers 4 extend, as shown, laterally of the table with their axes in parallelism.

The angles 1 may be conveniently supported b atta'chin to their extremitiesstrips 6, t upper ends of which are bent at right angles to providetheir points of attachment to said angles, and the vertical portions of which are preferably provided with a series of holes 7 into any of which may be inserted bolts 8, to adjust'ably connect said strips to uprights 9. I

The bottoms of the uprights may be provided with feet 10, containing holes 10' in which screws may be inserted for attaching" the table permanently to the floor, if it be desired to have the same immovably positioned.

The lowermost bolt 8 of each of the uprights may also be used to secure the lower end of a corresponding brace bar 11, which may be twisted and the upper end of which may be riveted or otherwise secured to the under side of the corresponding angle 1.

. The upri hts 9 are also connected by brace bars 12, w ich in turn are connected by rivets 12' at their crossin oints.

There is thus provided y the angles 1 and their supports and bracing connections, a rigid frame for the rollers and upon these latter is mounted a carriage 13, which is preferably considerably shorter in length than the table to permit of extended movement of said carriage to and fro .this movement being very free one on account of the anti-friction bearings of the rolls or rollers to the end that even when the record holding "receptacles 14, which are preferably neste upon this carriage, are completely filled with record cards 15, but a very light thrust against said rece tacle is suflicient to propel the carriage in t e desired direction.

upon which This responsiveness of the apparatus to such a light push or thrust is of the-utmost importance, since the operators are frequently girls and it is important that they be not required to exert any material effort in the handling of the apparatus.

The receptacles 14 may be rovided with openings 14 in their ends, to acllitate their emplacement upon or removal from the carriage; it being evident that where the receptacle is comparatively small, even though it tion and is brought to rest.

It is important that some means be provlded for thus limiting the endwise move- 'ment of the carriage, since otherwlse the cards or other records might be dumped 'out onto the floor; and I therefore provide sections of angle iron 17 at the respective ends,

which lie in the path of said carriage. Sincethe a paratus is primarily intended for use in o ces, where quietnessis apt to be a requisite, it is also highly desirable to provide means to 'CllShlOIl the carriage where it reaches the end of its travel; and such cushioning means may be inexpensively provided by mounting rubber buttons 18 upon the outer sides of the respective end flanges 16.

I- also prefer to laterally flange the carriage-as at 16 to-prevent an :chance of displacement of-the record holding receptacles sidewise; and to correspondingly limit sidewi'se movement of the carriage upon its table by meansof angles or guides 17' which may gage the depending sides of the angles 17 be connected to and support the end angles or stops 17. If the carriage 13 be of wood, and indeed even if made of metal, it is preferable to provide smooth bosses or knobs 19 at intervals along its length, which may lightly enguides 17 Finally, the guiding and movement-limiting frame constituted by the angles 1717, may be conveniently supported from the main frame of the table, by connecting the to the angles 1 by bent clips 20. In general, it may be noted that the particular advantage'residing in the provision of aseries-of rollers for the carriage, is that the weight of the latter and its load is there by distributed over a considerable number of bearings, which tends to reduce the wear and tear upon the apparatus and to obviate the necessity-for frequent lubrication.

It also permits of the carriage 13 being made of relatively light construction, since it is supported along practicallythe entire length thereof. .This lightness of the carriage, and also of the receptacle 14: is a .desideratum in furtherance of the aim to favor the operation of the machine with a minimum exertion on the part of the operator.

The operation of the device is as follows: The height of the table is adjusted to the convenience of the operator or operators by the insertion of the bolts 8 into the holes 7 of the strips 6; these bolts then having their nuts tightened up in the usual fashion. The carriage being laden with receptacles 1 1 and the latter in turn being filled withrecord cards or the like, may then be freely reciprocated upon its table with but a light touch of the operator, to enable the latter to bring any one of the receptacles within most convenient reach, whereby to either place a card the same, as desired. has

and that it very materially expedites the handling of records with aminimum of noise and confusion, such as is necessarily caused by office of the clerks having to attend to such matters. 7

Further, the operator at such a table may be seated atall times and has no occasion to arise from her seat or even to reach inconveniently for a card in any one of the receptacles, since, as aforesaid, a light t w to bring the desired receptacle and its cards or records within easy reach.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In apparatus for keeping records, the

combination of a table comprising a frame in which are mounted a series of rollers the ment in either direction longitudinally of said table, said carriageriding upon said rollers and. the latter having anti-friction bearings, means to retain said carriage laterally in place upon said rollers, cushioning means to limit. the travel of said carriage in both of said-directions, and meanscarried by said carriage for preventing the momen tum of said receptacles from displacing them off of said, carriage when movement of the latter in a given one of said directions is checked by said cushioning means.

2. In apparatus for keeping records, the combination of an elongated table the ends of which are beyond the convenient reach of an operator positioned at a station intermediate the length of said table, a carriage substantially .frictionlessly and horizontally,

mounted for very free movement in either direction longitudinally of said table, said carriage being materially shorter than the table'to permit of extendedmovement to and been found in practice to be a most valuable adjunct to the furniture of a large office,

the movement back and forth around the fro thereupon, a plurality of record holding receptacles supported on said carriage for travel therewith to permit of any one of said receptacles being brought within convenient reach of said station, means to limit the movement of'said carriage in both of said directions, means to prevent endwise displacement of said receptacles oil of said carriage by their momentum, when said carriage is brought to rest by its movement limiting means, and means to permit of vertical adjustment of said table and receptacles to accommodate the operator.

3. In apparatus for keeping records, the combination vof an elongated table the ends of which are beyond the convenient reach of an operator positioned at a station intermediate the length of said table, a carriage substantially :frictionlessly and horizontally mounted for very free movement in either direction longitudinally of said table, said carriage being materially shorter than the table to permit of extended movement to and fro thereupon, a plurality of record holding receptacles supported on said carriage one of said receptacles being brought within convenient reach of said station, cushioning means to limit the movement of said carriage in both of said directions, and means to prevent endwise displacement of said receptacles ofi of said carriage by their momentum, when said carriage is brought to rest by its movement limiting means.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature, in the'presence of two witnesses.

. HENRY W. ROBINSON.

Witnesses:

w. n. rim/mil, N. L. DONAHUE.

or travel therewith to permit of any 

